Cruising for Diego: Community demands justice in unsolved homicide
(Photo by Sienna Miller)
By Sienna Miller/West Texas Tribune
A number of friends and loved ones came out to support the peaceful pro-test and car cruise as they seek justice for Juan “Diego” Mendez.
Diego was 19 years old and a high school graduate. He had his whole life ahead of him before it was taken on March 23, 2026.
Angel Garcia, left, pictured here with his best friend, Diego Mendez, was present at the peaceful protest and car cruise, advocating for justice in Mendez’s death.
The car cruise group met in the parking lot of the Abilene Health and Human Services on South 1st Street on Sunday, May 7. A variety of vehicles and motorcycles came out. Cruisers drove from the HHS parking lot, down South 1st, to the Vybz Club parking lot, where they circled back to where they began.
One of Mendez’s favorite songs was played on the sound systems of each car — “June 27th” by the late Houston rapper DJ Screw (2020).
The event was organized by Jennifer Christine, founder of “Paint The City Purple for Desree.” Desree Dominque Mendoza, 32, was a devoted nurse and mother of five in Abilene Texas. She was stabbed to death on December 6, 2025, two days after filing for divorce. Her husband has been arrested and charged with her murder.
The organization focuses on domestic violence awareness and helps not only to prevent it from occurring, but also to support family members and friends who have lost loved ones to domestic violence.
According to reports from his friends and family, Mendez was in a toxic relationship with his girlfriend.
Police responded to a call about an injured subject at 5:30 p.m. on March 23, which led them to the 3800 block of Concord Drive in north Abilene. When officers arrived, Mendez was lying unconscious in the doorway of that residence.
He was transported to Hendrick Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:04 p.m.
According to the Abilene Police Department, a 19-year-old female was present at the time of the shooting and was taken in for questioning afterward.
Mendez’s death has been ruled a homicide by the Abilene Police Department, and an investigation re-mains ongoing and active.
The frustration of those present for the peaceful protest, is that a suspect has yet to be arrested and that his kill-er remains free.
